Austin Brooks is 12-years-old and this year — Christmas came a little early.
And he wasn’t the only one that it happened to….
A cat by the name of Gizzard also was in for a early Christmas surprise…
Mari Brooks, Austin’s mom, works at the Humane Society of Genesee County, Michigan.
And for the past two years — Austin spends most of his free time there.
He volunteers to take the shelter dogs on walks as well as socializes with the kitties.
But in the previous month, Austin was hit with a huge loss.
“Our cat passed away,” Brooks shared with The Dodo.
And while Austin was crushed at him losing his family cat, he continued to help other pets who needed love and attention.
Austin a little while later decided to help the shelter put on a yoga session that would feature kitties who were up for adoption.
And it was at this session Austin met Gizzard and he was smitten with the kitten.
It became very clear to Brooks how Austin felt about Gizzard and so she made arrangements to have the cat be adopted.
Brooks then started to think about how she could surprise Austin with the news — and discovered the perfect scenario.
The shelter was slated to host a holiday event that featured Santa himself and Austin, was there too.
He thought he was just getting a photo shoot with Santa and Gizzard.
But that wasn’t quite the whole story.
In video footage, Austin can be seen learning that he and Gizzard would be forever, together — and the reaction is precious.
Austin was in tears.
“His reaction was the best thing I have ever seen,” Brooks said. “Everyone was crying watching this all happen.”
And as you can imagine, both Austin and Gizzard are the best of friends.
The two have a bond that truly is magical.
“Gizzard sleeps with him every night,” Brooks said. “He comes running when Austin calls him…They really are best friends!”
If you are toying with the idea of adopting a cat this holiday season, then we have a few pointers we would like to share with you before you make that leap.
A few questions to ask before adopting a cat is, are you able to provide an adequate living situation for your cat? Cats need to be stimulated which means they need to run, jump, scratch and be as active as possible.
Anther factor to consider is making sure your cat will not be lonely when you leave for work. Most cats spend 9 to 11 hours a day by themselves and this can cause behavioral problems. The best thing for a cat is sometimes, another cat.
Last but not least, many go back and forth over the idea of getting either a cat or a kitten. And it truly, it boils down to a few things….
A kitten is a newborn and has very specific needs. They need a constant, reassuring presence. If you plan to work out of the home, this may be difficult to do.
If you are debating to adopt, you can chat with the interactive guide named Dodo Adoptbot. You can get started via Facebook Messenger or text HOME to 38349.
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